Furnace for heating metal.



PATENTBD JUNE 2, 1903.

- T. v. ALLIS.

FURNACE FOR HEATING METAL.

APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 22, 1902. 1 H0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-$331}?! 1,

PATENTEfi JUNE 2, 1903.

, v. ALLIS. FURNACE FOB. HEATING METAL.

APPLICATION rl'Lnn nomzz. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

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UNITED was Patented June 2, 1903.

FU RNACE FOR I-l EAT! NG M ETA L.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,713, dated June 2, 1903. Application filed November 22,1902 Serial No. 182,480. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS V. ALLIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Furnaces for Heating Metal, of which the following is a specification.

This furnace is especially designed for the purpose of heating sheet and tin-plate bars, and is arranged to be operated continuously, the metal bars being intermittently charged into the furnace, moved throughtheheating-chamber step by step, and again delivered intermittently at substantially the point where they are charged. The furnace pref erably employs a series of carrier blocks, which rest upon the hearth or floor of the furnace and upon which the metal bars are supported, the blocks being pushed through the furnace along an angular path from the point where they receive the bars to the point where the bars are delivered.

The invention will be more readily under stood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- 1 Figure l is a transverse vertical section on line I I of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line II II of. Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa trans.- verse vertical section on line III III of Fig. 2.. Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section on line IV IV of Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a perspective View of two carrier-blocks, one being shown as empty and the other as charged with the bars to be heated.

The furnace shown is a rectangular structure having side walls 1 2, end walls 3 4, and an arched roof 5. The furnace has a flat tile hearth or floor 6. Beneath the hearth is a se ries of parallel transverse combustion-chambers 7 between which are piers 8, which support the hearth. A pair of vertical ports 9 10, serving for the introduction of gas and air,

respectively, open. through the bottom of each combustion-chamber at one side of the furnace. From the other end of each combustion-chamber a vertical port 11 opens upwardly into the heating-chamber. of vertical ports 12 for discharging waste products ofcombustion extend down through the hearthand thence through the piers 8 between each pair of gas and air ports.

' the metal bars.

A series.

Supported upon the hearth and extending from end to end thereof is a metal plate 13,

preferably of iron, cast in three sections, ar-

ranged longitudinally end to end, with spaces left between adjacent sections to permit expansion. From the under side of this plate projects a central longitudinal rib 14, which extends into the hearth and prevents the plate from shifting laterally. From the upper side of plate13 project three longitudinal parallel ribs 15 16 17. The ribs 15 17 extend along the edges of the plate from end to end, while rib 16, midway between ribs 15 17, is of such length as to leave a flat unbroken space at each end of the plate betweenthe side ribs. Supported upon the metal plate,between the ribs, are two rows of carrier-blocks 18,preferably of cast-iron. Each block has a flat smooth under face, which enables it to be pushed over the metal plate without difficulty and is of such length that it freely fits between two of the ribs, so that they serve as guides for the blocks. From the upper side of each carrier-block extend three parallel vertical ribs 19, as shown in Fig. 5. Midway between and parallel to each pair of ribs 19 is a low rib 20. The carrier-blocks are of such width and number that the blocks in one row when arranged in contact or directly abutting against each other extend from end to end of the heatingchainber. lhe number of blocks in the other row is less by one than the number of blocks in the first row, so that when the line ofblocks in the second row is pushed toward one end of the heating-chamber a vacant space of a width equal to that of one block is left at the other end of the row. Through the end wall 3, midway of the ribs 16 17 and at the level of the upper surface of plate 13, is an opening 21, which serves for the introduction of a pushing-bar. Similar openings 23 24 extend through end walla and-side wall 1. An opening 27, having door 28, extends through side wall 2, by which arereeeived and delivered Rib 17 is cut away in front of opening 27, and rib 15 is notched at a point 26 opposite opening 24.

In operation gas and air, which may be previously heated in regenerators,are introducedthrough the ports 9 10, and the resulting" flames pass along each combustion-chamber andin contact with the under side of the 4 by the pushing-bar in opening 21.

hearth, the products of combustion escaping through fines 11 into the heating-chamber, thence passing laterally across this chamber and escaping downward through ports 12. When the chamber has been brought to the proper temperature, which is usually one that will heat the metal bars to a cherry-red, and with the carrier-blocks in the position shown in Fig. 2, the block directly in front of the doorway 27 is charged with four metal bars 29. Thebars are introduced singly through the doorway 2.7 by tongs or otherwise and placed on the block in the position shown in Fig. 5, the lower edge of each'bar resting on the block and against one of the low ribs 20, while the bar is supported in a slightly-inclined position by its middle portion resting against one of the high ribs 19. The block, with its charge of bars, is then pushed across the furnace into the open space at the righthand end of the farther row of blocks. A pushing-bar is then introduced through opening 21, and the entire line of blocks between the ribs 16 17 is pushed toward and nearly against the end wall 4.. A pushing-bar is now introduced through opening 24 and the block adjacent to rib 15 and directly in front of this opening is pushed endwise toward and in contact with the rib 17. A pushing-bar is now introduced through opening 23 and the line of blocks between ribs 15 1G is moved toward and nearly against the end wall 3. Meanwhile the empty block in front of doorway 27 has been charged with bars and is moved across the furnace against rib 15, and 'the line of blocks between ribs 16 17 is again moved toward and nearly against the end wall Each block in the furnace is thus successively charged with bars. It will be seen that each block moves through the furnace in a rectangular path and the time which elapses between the successive operation of the several pushing-bars is so calculated that the bars to be heated are brought to the required temperature by the time the block upon which they are carried again returns to a point in front of doorway 27. When the block which was first charged has been returned to itsinitial point, the heated bars are withdrawn through the doorway and cold bars are put in their places. The furnace thus heats continuously, although the movement of the blocks and the operations of charging and discharging are intermittent.

In some cases it may be desirable to have separate doors for charging and discharging the carrier-blocks to enable different workmen to introduce and withdraw the bars.

While the furnace is shown as rectangular, it may be of anyother desired polygonal shape, it being understood that the metal to be heated is moved through the furnace along an angular and substantiallyclosed path extending from and returning to the point or points of charging and discharging.

In some cases the carrier-blocks are unnecessary, as the material maybe placed directly on and pushed along the hearth or plate 13. The combustion-chambers beneath the hearth may be omitted where bottom heating is not required. The hearth or plate for carrying the metal to be heated may be arranged in any desired position.

Various other modifications will suggest themselves to the skilled engineer, depending upon the purpose to which the furnace is to be applied.

1. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and delivering the metal, and means for moving the metal over the hearth along an angular path extending from and returning to said opening or openings, as set forth.

2. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and delivering the metal, carrier-blocks on the hearth, and means for moving the blocks over the hearth along an angular path extending from and returning to said opening or openings, as set forth.-

3. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and delivering the metal, straight guides on the hearth, and means for moving the metal over the hearth between the guides and along an angular path extending from and returning to said opening or openings, as set forth.

4. A furnace forheating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and delivering the metal, straight guides on the hearth, carrier-blocks supported on the hearth be tween the guides, and means for moving the blocks over the hearth along an angular path extending from and returning to said opening or openings, as set forth.

5. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and delivering the metal, and pushing-bars operating through the side and end walls of the furnace, in position to move the metal over the hearth along an angular path extending from and returning to said opening or openings, as set forth.

6. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and delivering the metal, carrier-blocks on the hearth, and pushing-bars operating through the side and end walls of the furnace, in position to move the blocks over the hearth along an angular path extending from and returning to said opening or openings, as set forth.

7. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and delivering the metal, straight guides on the hearth, and. pushing-bars operating through the side and end walls of the furnace, in position to move the metal over the hearth between the guides and along an angular path extending from and returning to said opening or openings, as set forth.

8. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and deliverin g the metal, straight guides on the hearth,

carrier-blocks supported on the hearth be tween the guides, and pushing-bars operating through the side and end Walls of the furnace, in position to move the blocks over the hearth along an angular path extending from and returning to said opening or openings, as set forth.

9. A furnace for heating bars, comprising a heating-chamber having a .hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and deliv ering the bars, means for passing heating gases transversely across the chamber, and carrier-blocks on the hearth and provided with means for supporting the bars on edge and parallel to the direction of movement of the heating-gases, as set forth.

10. A furnace for heating bars, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and delivering the bars, means for passing heatinggases transversely across the chamber, and carrier-blocks on the hearth and provided With vertical ribs for supporting the'bars on edge and parallel to the direction of movement of the heating-gases, as set forth.

11. A furnace for heating bars, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and delivering the bars, means for passing heatinggases transversely across the chamber, and carrier-blocks on the hearth and provided with a series of high vertical ribs and intermediate low ribs for supporting the bars on edge and parallel to the direction of movement of the heating-gases, as set forth.

12. A furnace for heating bars, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearthand an opening or openings for receiving and delivering the bars, movable carrier-blocks on the hearth and provided with ribs for supporting the bars on edge in an inclined position, and means for moving the blocks over the hearth in an angular path extending from and returning to said opening or openings, as set forth.

13. A. furnace for heating bars, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth and an opening or openings for receiving and delivering the bars, and movable carrier-blocks on the hearth, each block comprising a base, a series of high, vertical, parallel ribs, and low ribs intermediate the high ribs, and means for moving the blocks over the hearth, as set forth.

14.. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth of refractory material, an iron plate on the hearth, a series of carrier-blocks on the iron plate, and means for passing heating-gases transversely beneath the hearth and across the heating-chamber, as set forth.

15. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth of refractory material, an iron plate on the hearth having guide-ribs, and carrier-blocks between said ribs,as set forth.

16. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth of refractory material, and an iron plate on the hearth having ribs along each edge and at its middle, the middle rib being of less length than the plate, as set forth.

17. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearthof refractory material, an iron plate on the hearth having ribs along each edge and at its middle, the middle rib being of less length than the plate, and pushing-bars operating through the side and end walls of the heating-chamher, as set forth.

18. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth of refractory material, an iron plate on the hearth having ribs along each edge and at its middle, the middle rib being of less length than the plate, and two rows of carrier-blocks be-.

tween said ribs, as set forth.

19. A furnace for heating metal, comprising a heating-chamber having a hearth of refractory material, an iron plate on the hearth :having ribs along each edge and at its mid: dle, the middle rib being of less length than the plate, two rows of carrier-blocks between said, ribs, pushing-bars in position to move each row of blocks longitudinally, and pushing-bars in position to move the end block of each row transversely, as set forth.

p In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

THOMAS V. ALLIS. Witnesses:

O. A. NEALE, EUGENE A. BYRNES. 

